The UAE celebrated New Year’s Eve with full grandeur on December 31, 2025, somehow managing to beat the stunning festivities of last year. As residents and visitors headed out to find spots for the perfect view, there were some who chose to stay indoors and avoid the rush.
Then there were those who were busy working the evening away, or already fast asleep after a long day of exhaustion from work.
To ease the transition into the new year, the Emirates has announced a public holiday on January 1, 2025, for all private sector employees. Residents will also enjoy free parking and extended metro hours, giving them an opportunity to enjoy the first day of 2026.
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So fear not, whichever category you fall in, we have compiled the best moments from this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations across the UAE, for you to enjoy simply through a scroll. And staying true to its tradition, the nation is likely to outdo itself on New Year’s Eve 2027 too, giving you a chance to make up for this year’s lost experience.
1. Burj Khalifa fireworks
Burj Khalifa, the main star during New Year’s Eve, made sure to continue its record this year, with an opera performance, dancers on water and a performer walking on a suspended rope towards the building, all setting the stage for the breathtaking fireworks.
Residents and visitors from all walks of life came together in union as they counted down the seconds to 2026, with cheers and wishes of Happy New Year erupting as the clock struck 12.
The fireworks began spiralling around the world’s tallest building, as colourful graphics shot up its exterior.
People were also seen lining up on the empty Sheikh Zayed Road to catch a glimpse of the magnificent show.
Take a look at the spectacular show shared by none other than the city’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid himself.
2. Al Wathba drone show
Visitors at Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba witnessed a groundbreaking drone show featuring 6,500 drones performing in a single 20-minute sortie.
Drones flew over spectators’ heads as they drew colourful images of UAE’s Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The show included nine giant aerial formations presented for the first time globally, synchronised with a digital countdown and integrated with the fireworks display, offering a visually immersive experience.
The show unfolded in five stages throughout New Year’s Eve, beginning at 8pm and culminating at midnight with the main display of fireworks.
Beyond the major aerial shows, the festival hosted an extensive lineup of traditional Emirati performances, including Al Ayala, Al Razfa, and Al Nadooba, featuring hundreds of performers, alongside international performance groups.
3. Dubai Frame fireworks and drone show
In a first, Dubai Frame which overlooks the past and present of the bustling city, had its own New Year celebrations with a countdown, massive fireworks and drone show.
The famous attraction was part of a broader celebration that featured fireworks displays at 40 locations across the emirate, with a total of 48 fireworks shows planned for the evening.
4. Ras Al Khaimah’s pheonix drone show
Ras Al Khaimah ushered in 2026 with a sweeping New Year’s Eve celebration that blended large-scale spectacle with a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere, as thousands gathered along the emirate’s coastline and public spaces to welcome the new year.
From late afternoon, crowds steadily flowed towards waterfront viewing areas, with traffic and pedestrian movement managed to ensure a smooth build-up to the night’s main event.
Shortly after midnight, the celebrations reached their climax with a 15-minute drone and fireworks display that earned Ras Al Khaimah a new Guinness World Records title for the largest aerial display of a phoenix formed by multirotors/drones.
A total of 2,300 drones, including 1,000 pyro drones, transformed the night sky into a dynamic canvas, with the phoenix symbolising renewal, optimism and rebirth. The drone performance was followed by a precisely timed fireworks countdown stretching six kilometres from Marjan Island to Al Hamra, as waves of colour and light rippled along the coastline.
5. Ras Al Khaimah’s coastline fireworks
It was not only the stunning drone formations that lit up the skies above Ras Al Khaimah’s coastline on New Year’s Eve; an awe-inspiring display of colourful fireworks also added to the celebrations.
With its latest record-breaking drone and fireworks display, the emirate continues to strengthen its reputation as a global destination for innovative and emotionally resonant New Year’s Eve celebrations, closing the year on a high note and setting the tone for the year ahead.
6. Abu Dhabi’s 62-minute fireworks
Abu Dhabi welcomed 2026 with a 62-minute continuous fireworks display and a large-scale drone show involving 6,500 drones during New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Sheikh Zayed Festival.
The extended fireworks display, which ran uninterrupted for more than an hour, set multiple world records, including the largest number of waterfalls, whistle-sound, thunder and ring-shaped fireworks launched within 30 seconds.
The New Year’s Eve programme also featured what organisers described as the world’s largest drone show, with 6,500 drones flying simultaneously for 20 minutes. The drones formed nine aerial formations, unveiled for the first time, and were synchronised with the New Year countdown.
7. Global Village’s 7 fireworks
Dubai’s most popular family destination, the Global Village, decided this year to join revellers in various countries as the clock strikes 12am and the year starts where they are. How to do that? The vast park hosted seven New Year celebrations in one night, each marking the first moments of 2026 in a specific country.
The unique celebration gave guests the chance to observe the New Year across seven countries, each marked by spectacular fireworks and dazzling drone shows: China at 8pm, Thailand at 9pm, Bangladesh at 10pm, India at 10.30pm, Pakistan at 11pm, Dubai at midnight, and Turkey at 1am.
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